The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has sternly warned the highway builders that in addition to penalties for construction failures, they will also bear the cost of new construction.
Following the recent collapse of an NH-66 stretch in Kerala, NHAI has ordered two highway builders to finish constructing the replacement flyovers at the damaged places at their own expense. They would be required to submit a monthly report to track progress.
In an effort to punish underperforming companies over the past two years, NHAI has prohibited 12 construction companies and 17 consulting firms from placing bids for projects and has fined them around Rs 0.24 billion. Moreover, for negligence and duty dereliction, 26 NHAI officers, including several general managers and deputy general managers, have been suspended as part of a series of disciplinary actions.